HSE information sheet
Safety at the winding zones of winding
machines for plastic sheet and film
Introduction
This sheet was produced by the Health and Safety
Executive (HSE) in consultation with the Plastics
Processors Health and Safety Liaison Committee. This
committee comprises HSE, employers and employee
representatives in the plastics industry. It is one of a
series dealing with safety at specific machines used
within the plastics industry. It describes the causes of
accidents at the winding zones of winding machines,
and details safeguarding standards and safety
checklists. It has been designed to be read in
conjunction with Plastics Processing Sheet No 3
Managing machinery safety in small plastics factories.
In this document the term nip is used to refer to the
intake between two rollers (whether driven or not).
Running nip is used to refer to the trap created between
the material and any roller, reel, mandrel or core.
Accident history
Table 1 shows the number of accidents at plastics
industry winders that have been reported to HSE from
1992-1996 under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and
Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR). It
shows that, on average, there is a reportable accident
on these machines somewhere in the UK three weeks
out of every four.
Table 1 Reeling/winding accidents reported by the plastics
industry under RIDDOR 1992/93 - 1995/96
Year 92/93 93/94 94/95 95/96
All 48 28 38 44
Major 4 1 1 8
Causes of accidents
Over 130 accidents at winding machines have been
investigated by HSE inspectors in the 10 years up to
1996. Table 2 summarises the circumstances involved.
The table shows that there are three main types of
accident: being drawn in at a nip; being drawn in at a
running nip; and being injured by a falling mandrel/reel.
The falling mandrel/reel accidents do not require
detailed guidance and are not dealt with in the
safeguarding standards which follow.
Plastics Processing Sheet No 11
HSEs investigation experience is that employees are
often placed at risk when deliberately intervening in the
winding process. The tasks they are carrying out
commonly include: threading up; smoothing material;
cutting samples from the web; splicing onto the new
core; adjusting slitters; and fault diagnosis. The
safeguarding options listed in this sheet, together with
other aids such as scrolling rolls to smooth creases, will
provide the most practicable levels of operator protection
when any of these tasks need to be done.
Guarding standards
Applying these standards
Both nips and running nips should normally be
presumed to be dangerous. For example, one fatality
has occurred on a machine running as slow as 5 m per
minute. The safeguarding standards described in this
sheet should be applied.
However, there may be circumstances where the nips
and running nips are not a danger and so some
precautions described in this sheet will not be needed.
For example:
where the rollers are of such low torque that they
can be stopped by one hand;
where they are positioned out of reach; or
in the case of running nips, where easy withdrawal
of the hand from the trap is possible.
The use of trip wires
A number of different safeguards are currently found in
use at winders, ranging from fixed and interlocked
guards to simple trip wires. While trip wires can minimise
accidents and injuries, they do not always prevent them
and the law requires a more effective form of
safeguarding where this is practicable. Trip wires
should not therefore be used as primary safeguards
other than in the defined circumstances set out in
Tables 3, 4 and 5. When trip wires have to be used,
their positioning is critical and they need to be very
deliberately sited so that they are activated by an
involuntary action rather than a conscious act.
The sensitivity of the trip wire and the speed of the
machines braking mechanism must always be checked
to ensure that involuntary activation of the trip will stop
the winder almost instantaneously (ie quickly enough to
prevent a serious injury).
Table 2 Causes of accidents
Part causing injury No Cause/reason No
Either: 45 No safeguards provided. 25
nips between a roller and the reel/mandrel/core (eg
driving roller or pressure roller); Opening in fixed guard too large. 7
or
nips between rollers not in contact with the Guard removed or safety device off during setting. 4
reel/mandrel/core
Electro-sensitive protective equipment (ESPE) ineffective 3
NIPS

because wrongly positioned.

Trip wire/device only activated after person drawn into nip. 2

Unsafe system of work. 2

Nip guard ineffective because wrongly positioned. 1

Other. 1

Running nip between the material and the 38 No safeguards provided. 14

reel/mandrel/core
Trip wire/device not activated, or only activated after 12
person drawn into the running nip.
RUNNING NIPS

Fixed guard removed. 2

Interlocked guard defeated. 2

Fixed guard ineffective because wrongly positioned. 1

Other. 7

Running nip between the material and any other roller 3 No safeguards provided. 3

Mandrel/reel 33 Dislodged from bearings. Not secured in position. 13

Dropped while being manually handled. 10

Dropped due to failure of inadequately maintained lifting 5

equipment.

Caught on protruding end screws while rotating. 2

Other. 3

Knives 4 Automatic flying knife jammed in raised position leaving 1

blade exposed.

Hinged guard raised, blade fell during cleaning. 1

Interlocked guard removed for blade change. Usual 1

protective plastic cover not in place.

Hinged guard fell due to poor positioning. 1

Arms of winder 4 Trapped between arms and frame of machine. 2

Struck by arm. 2

Transmission machinery 2 No fixed guard provided. 2

Miscellaneous 22 Individual circumstances. 22

Safe operating procedures
It must be recognised that the safeguarding standards in
Tables 3, 4, 5 and 6 will not provide complete protection
at all times, and so heavy reliance must also be placed
on safe operating procedures. The following issues in
particular need to be addressed:
Do not allow people to wear loose jewellery and
clothing, eg long laboratory coats, ties etc.
Ensure there are enough emergency stops so that
one is accessible from all working positions in the
winding zone.
 Pre-plan for foreseeable malfunctions, eg
blockages and loss of sequence.
Safeguarding standards
The remainder of this section describes practicable and
acceptable safeguarding standards for the four different
types of winder. Each is complete in itself, so you need
only refer to the type(s) which best describes your plant.
The four types are:
fully automatic machines on continuous production
lines (eg blown film), where the need for manual
intervention is limited to initial start-up or fault
conditions;
semi-automatic machines on continuous
production lines, where the motion of the flying
knife and/or the reel change is manually initiated;
manually operated machines on continuous
production lines, where the operator has to cut the
web manually; and
rewind machines where the material is fed from
reel to reel for printing, slitting, inspection or similar
processes.
Terms used in Tables 3 to 6
'Slow' speed - the indicative slow speeds are for film
(250 microns or less) 10-15 m/min, or for sheet (greater
than 250 microns) 5-10 m/min.
Hierarchy - the precaution hierarchies referred to in the
table are in the context of the Provision and Use of Work
Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER 98). Regulation
11 specifies the measures to be taken to prevent access
to dangerous parts of machinery and ranks them in the
order they should be implemented.

Table 3 Fully automatic machines

Hazard
Traps at nips and running nips
during normal operation
Precaution
The following should be used either singly or in combination:
perimeter fencing with interlocked access doors and either a scanning device or pressure-
sensitive mats if internal access is foreseeable;

electro-sensitive protective equipment (ESPE) using light curtains and light beam devices; or

localised fixed/interlocked guarding.

A safe means of loading mandrels etc should be provided, eg a hoist controlled from outside the
winding zone.

Start-up If practicable, the machine should either be threaded up when it is stationary, or with all the
safeguards in position and functioning.

If this is not practicable, and the machine can only be threaded up in motion with parts of the
normal safeguarding system inoperative, then one of the following options should be used via
the use of a mode selector key, either

the slowest speed practicable together with the use of local ESPE or a trip device specifically
positioned to be activated by the operator if they get too close to the nip; or, if applicable

a hold-to-run device incorporating slow speed or limited movement.

Product verification and Always consider whether the sample can be taken from a completed reel rather than the running
adjustment web.

What follows should only be applied where manual intervention with the machine running is
necessary (eg sampling material, minor adjustments). If the machine has an accumulator these
operations should be performed with the winding parts stationary.

If the machine does not have an accumulator then use the highest practicable measures from
the following hierarchy depending on machine operation:

take the sample from a safe position upstream of the winding zone;

use a mode selector switch to override the normal guarding and activate ESPE, specifically
positioned to be activated by the operator if they get too close to the nip, as well as an
audible alarm and/or visual signal;

use a mode selector switch to override the normal guarding and activate a trip wire,
specifically positioned to be activated by the operator if they get too close to the nip, as well
as an audible alarm and/or visual signal.
Table 4 Semi-automatic machines
Hazard
Traps at nips and running nips
during normal operation
Start-up
Product verification and
adjustment
Traps from reel change
mechanism
Flying knife
Precaution
The following should be used either singly or in combination:
perimeter fencing with interlocked access doors and pressure-sensitive mats if internal
access is foreseeable;
localised fixed/interlocked guarding (eg for side panels); or
ESPE using light curtains and light beam devices with a muting function enabled where
necessary, eg at reel bar changeover. If access to the dangerous parts is needed when such
devices are muted then a trip wire should also be provided.
A safe means of loading mandrels etc should be provided, eg a hoist controlled from outside the
winding zone.
If practicable, the machine should either be threaded up when it is stationary, or with all the
safeguards in position and functioning.
If this is not practicable, and the machine can only be threaded up in motion with parts of the
safeguarding system inoperative, then one of the following options should be used, either:
the slowest speed practicable together with local ESPE or a trip device specifically positioned
for this purpose; or, if applicable
a hold-to-run device incorporating slow speed or limited movement.
Always consider whether the sample can be taken from a completed reel rather than the running
web.
What follows should only be applied where manual intervention with the machine running is
necessary (eg sampling material, minor adjustments). If the machine has an accumulator these
operations should be performed with the winding parts stationary.
If the machine does not have an accumulator then use the highest practicable measures from
the following hierarchy depending on machine operation:
take the sample from a safe position upstream of the winding zone; or
from the winding zone with the normal safeguards in position; or
from the winding zone but having used a mode selector switch to override the normal
guarding and activate a trip wire specifically positioned to be activated by the operator if they
get too close to the nip. The mode selector switch should also activate an audible alarm
and/or visual signal.
If reel change is initiated automatically, access to the dangerous parts should be prevented by
one of the safeguarding options listed under nips/running nips (above).
If movement is initiated manually, then initiation should be by a two-hand control incorporating a
hold-to-run requirement and the control point should be positioned to allow the operator a clear
view of the danger area.
If movement of the flying knife is initiated automatically, access to the knife should be prevented
by one of the safeguarding options listed under nips/running nips (above).
If movement is initiated manually, and if the knife can be reached from the control point, then
initiation should be by a two-hand control.
If movement of the knife is initiated manually but the knife cannot be reached from the control
point, the control point should be positioned to allow the operator a clear view of the danger
area.
Table 5 Manually operated machines
Hazard
Nip/running nip at the reel-up - To reduce the likelihood of inadvertent access to the nips/running nips from the side or front of
general precautions
Nip/running nip at the reel-up:
Safeguards for protecting the
operator during web cutting
operations
Operator protection when
sampling
Start-up
Traps from any reel change
mechanism
Nips and running nips other
than those at the reel-up
Precaution
the machine, select protection methods from one of the following:
at the sides - barriers, a raised platform, or the machine frame itself may act as a barrier;
at the front - a raised platform or matting which gives a visual or audible warning when
trodden on.
Warning signs could be used in addition to either of these.
Two arrangements which do not require additional safeguards are possible:
the nip/running nip may be safe by position (ie out of reach from the position where the web is
cut); or
if the machine has an accumulator, these operations should be performed with the winding
parts stationary.
Where neither of the above possibilities can be used then the highest practicable measures
should be adopted from the following hierarchies depending on machine operation.
Nip position stationary as reel grows:
interlocked guard;
ESPE;
trip wires.
Nip position moves with growing reel:
interlocked guard;
self-adjusting guard;
ESPE;
trip wires.
In the case of ESPE and trip wires they should be specifically positioned to be activated by the
operator if they get too close to the nip.
The above precautions would also apply to sampling, but cutting from the completed reel or
upstream away from the reel-up point is recommended. Sampling should be done at the slowest
speed practicable.
If practicable, the machine should either be threaded up when it is stationary, or with all the
safeguards in position and functioning.
If the machine has to be threaded up in motion and any interlocked or self-adjusting guard has to
be overridden for this purpose, then a trip wire should be provided close to the nip/running nip
and the process of overriding the guard should activate the trip wire. Threading up should then
be undertaken at the slowest speed practicable and the operating procedure should be specified
in a written work instruction.
If the machine has to be threaded up in motion and the safeguard provided at the nip/running nip
is locally positioned ESPE or a trip wire, then this work should be undertaken at the slowest
speed practicable and the operating procedure should be specified in a written work instruction.
NB If it is practicable to use ESPE to safeguard any nip/running nip at the reel-up for web-cutting
operations, but not for start-up (because loose ends would trip the beam), then it is acceptable to
use a trip wire for both purposes.
If mechanised reel change arrangements are fitted and are reachable from the control position,
then the controls for these parts should be:
two-hand control; and
positioned so as to allow the operator a clear view of the danger area.
If mechanised reel change arrangements are fitted and are not reachable from the control
position, then the controls for these parts should be:
positioned so as to allow the operator a clear view of the danger area; and
hold to run.
If access to these is possible (ie not safe by position), then the highest practicable measures
should be adopted from the following hierarchy
localised fixed/interlocked guarding;
perimeter fencing with interlocked guards;
self-adjusting guards;
ESPE;
pressure-sensitive mats.
Table 6 Unwind/rewind machines

Hazard Precaution
Traps at nips, running nips and Access to these dangerous parts should be prevented by any of the following, either singly or in
knives combination:

perimeter fencing with interlocked access doors;

localised fixed/interlocked guarding;

ESPE; or

pressure-sensitive mats.

Start-up The machine should either be threaded up when it is stationary, or with all the safeguards in
position and functioning.

Manual intervention If manual intervention is necessary (eg for minor adjustments), then where practicable the
machine should be stopped. If it is necessary to intervene with the machine running, then a hold-
to-run device incorporating slow speed or limited movement will be required.

Operational checks (Suggested frequency: Daily)
Are all fixed and interlocked guards in place, in
good condition and secure?
Are all control unit enclosures closed, locked and
the keys removed?
If ESPE is fitted, does the indicator work when the
test piece is inserted into the light curtain or area
scanned by light beams?
If a pressure-sensitive mat is fitted, does the mat
indicator work when a weight is applied?
If applicable, is the reel lifting equipment available
and in working order?
Maintenance checks (Suggested frequency: Monthly)
Are all fixed guards secured in place with
fastenings that require a tool to undo them? (You
may wish to consider the use of restricted tools).
Are all interlocking devices correctly aligned and
securely attached to the guards?
Can the dangerous movements be started with the
interlocked guards open?
Does activation of any trip wire stop the machine
almost instantaneously?
Do any emergency stops fitted prevent all
continued movement of the machine?
Is it possible to initiate any dangerous movement
after activation of the emergency stop(s) before the
machine is reset?
Is there any indication that safeguarding systems
have been tampered with?
Is movement of dangerous parts prevented while
either:
- there is a test piece within the ESPEs
curtain/beam; or
- a weight is applied to the pressure-sensitive
mat.
Does removal of power to either the ESPE and/or
the pressure-sensitive mat prevent further
operation of the machine and reactivation until
power is restored and the device reset?
Are the seating arrangements for the mandrels
secure?
If applicable, is the lifting equipment serviceable?
Further information
HSE priced and free publications are available by mail
order from HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk
CO10 2WA. Tel: 01787 881165 Fax: 01787 313995.
Website: www.hsebooks.co.uk
HSE priced publications are also available from good
booksellers.
For other enquiries ring HSEs InfoLine Tel: 08701
545500, or write to HSEs Information Centre, Broad
Lane, Sheffield S3 7HQ. Website: www.hse.gov.uk
This leaflet contains notes on good practice which are
not compulsory but which you may find helpful in
considering what you need to do.

Are control unit enclosures closed, locked and the
keys removed and retained by a designated
person?
Are the two-hand/hold-to-run controls working as
intended?
This publication may be freely reproduced, except for
advertising, endorsement or commercial purposes. The
information is current at 8/00. Please acknowledge the
source as HSE.

Printed and published by the Health and Safety Executive 8/00 PPS11 C100